The present invention pertains to devices and assemblies for joining lengths of separate structural members in end to end relationship, and, more particularly, pertains to a coupling assembly for interconnecting sections or lengths of corrugated conduit in end to end disposition, or for attaching a section of conduit to an outlet, feeder, or distribution source in order to establish a continuous gas, fluid or material flow through the sections of conduit or from the source through the conduit.
Channels, pipes and conduit of plastic, metal and steel are a ubiquitous and necessary structural element in the industrial and technological environment, and this includes both the various flexible and non-flexible types of conduit. Their applications are seemingly endless and can include: use in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in homes, offices, industrial plants and in engines of all manner of public and private transportation vehicles; use in all types of plumbing and sewerage systems; use in private and public water systems and as part of the irrigation systems for private farms and large-scale commercial farms; use with equipment in industrial and environmental remediation and clean up services covering hazardous waste spills and offshore oil spills to the removal and clean up of debris from culverts, deep well lines, elevator pits and sewer lines.
In many of the above applications, flexible, plastic, corrugated conduit is the preferred type of conduit. For example, in industrial cleaning and vacuuming services corrugated plastic conduit is preferred because of its ease and flexibility for insertion into manholes, narrow recesses and pits and its lightweight nature reduces worker strain. In addition, if necessary the corrugated plastic conduit can also be easily cut and sized for the application at hand.
While conduit comes in widely varying lengths, and plastic corrugated conduit can be cut and sized to fit the particular job, many applications may require the interconnection of individual lengths of conduit that extend in end to end registration for hundreds of feet, thousands of yards, or even miles throughout an industrial complex or underground as part of a public water or sewerage system.
Since the ends of the conduit sections are not configured for natural joining, various devices and assemblies are used to adjoin individual lengths of conduit in an end to end disposition. In applicant""s experience, it is not uncommon for duct tape to be used to create an end to end joint. In addition, collars, collets, and hose clamps of varying diameters are widely available for straight conduit. For the particular application of joining corrugated conduit, couplings that snap or lock onto or in the troughs of the exterior undulating configuration of the corrugated conduit may be used.
Thus, the Kaminski et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,197) discloses a coupling comprised of a pair of semi-cylindrical sections hinged together for snapping around the exterior ends of two adjacent lengths of corrugated conduit. The interior surface of the coupling has undulations that mate with the exterior surfaces of the two adjacently disposed conduit lengths. However, the Kaminski coupling does not include structural features that facilitate the sealable end to end registration of adjacently disposed conduit lengths. In addition, the Kaminski coupling does not include structural features that maintain the alignment of the conduit ends while the coupling is being placed thereon. There is a great tendency for the ends of the conduit sections being joined together to slip and roll as the coupling is being placed thereon; and this problem is accentuated if the lengths of conduit cannot be properly supported and stabilized and only one individual is available to position and hold in place the ends of each conduit length while attempting to snap the coupling thereon.
The present invention comprehends a coupling for joining separate sections or lengths of conduit in end to end relationship so that fluid, gas or material can be transported therethrough, or for joining one or more sections of conduit to a media outlet, feeder or source.
The coupling of the present invention includes a cylindrical conduit joining member further defined by a pair of cylindrical half sections divided by an exterior annular flange. Each half section defines an exterior bearing surface and a bore extends through the half sections and is coequal in length therewith. The half sections are inserted into the ends of adjacently disposed sections of conduit whereupon the bearing surfaces are brought into contact with the interior surfaces of the ends of each conduit section.
Projecting from the annular flange is a web portion, and the interior ends of a pair of arcuate arms are pivotally attached to each other at the web portion. The span of the arcuate arms allows them to encompass both the ends of adjacent conduit sections and the annular flange. A latching member is pivotally mounted to the distal end of one of the arcuate arms, and when the arcuate arms are pivoted around the ends of the conduit sections, the latching member can lock the arms together thereby interconnecting the conduit sections in sealable, end to end disposition. The arms are u-shaped in cross section so that they interfit to the corrugations of the conduit sections for facilitating the adjoining of the conduit sections.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a coupling that includes a bearing surface for facilitating the alignment of the ends of two adjacent conduit sections prior to their interconnection by the coupling.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a coupling that is able to stabilize and support the ends of adjacent conduit sections that are locked together in end to end disposition by the coupling.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a coupling that can be sized to mate with the corrugations of corrugated conduit having a range of diameters.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a coupling capable of interconnecting the ends of adjacent conduit sections in sealable end to end registration for preventing leakage of material from the conduit sections.
Yet still another objective of the present invention is to provide a coupling means which can be easily used to create a joint, and then equally easily taken apart.
These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a perusal of the following detailed description of the preferred emodiment along with the accompanying drawings.